Early detection and early treatment!

A 36-year-old man from Jinan, Shandong Province was found to be infected with Helicobacter pylori during physical examination.

As early as 1994, the International Agency for Research on Cancer under the WHO defined Helicobacter pylori as a class of carcinogens, and in 2022 the U.

How to prevent this carcinogen from infecting the family has always been the focus of heated discussions

Today we will tell you about the home prevention of Helicobacter pylori in detail

Who is the most vulnerable family member?

Children at home

Although Helicobacter pylori can infect any member of the family, the "Expert Consensus on the Prevention, Control and Management of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Chinese Residents' Families (2021)" clearly points out that Helicobacter pylori infection mainly occurs in children and adolescents, and also It occurs in adulthood, but relatively rarely

The jury is still out on why adults are less susceptible to infection

The data show that children acquire infections within households, mainly before the age of 12

In addition to parents, children of similar age in the family are also very likely to transmit Helicobacter pylori, and it is often manifested as the transmission of older brothers and sisters to younger brothers and sisters

Then, the risk of infecting children is also grandmother/grandmother, which also roughly reflects the closeness of family members to children

What should I do if someone in my family is infected?

The infection rate of Helicobacter pylori in the Chinese population has reached 59%, and the family infection rate is even higher, reaching 62.

While we would prefer to prevent infection, most people are now infected, and they should focus on reducing the impact of their infection on their family members, which is to try to prevent children from being infected

This requires adults to know their Helicobacter pylori infection status.

If infection with Helicobacter pylori is confirmed, sterilization treatment should be carried out in time, even if there are no symptoms

Why is this?

Let's listen to the answer of Professor Zhang Kai, deputy director and secretary general of the National Health Commission's "Chronic Disease Health Management - Cancer Screening and Early Diagnosis Training Program":

In the "Sixth National Consensus Report on the Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infection" just released in May, it was also emphasized that people with infection should be sterilized

If one family member is positive, it is recommended that the whole family be tested and eradicated

The whole family treats it together, and the recurrence rate is lower
.
One study showed that the 2-year H.
pylori recurrence rate for individual eradication therapy was 19.
7%, and the 2-year H.
pylori recurrence rate for family co-treatment was only 7.
4%
.

The best situation for the prevention and treatment of Helicobacter pylori is, of course, before there are children in the family; if there are already children, there is no need to be too nervous, because children have a certain ability to clean up spontaneously
.

The best way that adults can do at this time is to treat their own infection and prevent children from living in an environment where they may continue to be infected
.

If the adults in the family are not suitable for Helicobacter pylori treatment after evaluation, or the treatment fails, try not to be the first caregiver of children for the time being, and avoid bad habits such as mouth-to-mouth feeding.
Children use separate utensils
.

References:

1.
National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases (Shanghai), National Alliance of Early Cancer Prevention and Control Centers of Digestive Tract, Helicobacter pylori and Peptic Ulcer Group of Digestive Disease Branch of Chinese Medical Association, etc.
Helicobacter pylori infection in Chinese households Expert consensus on prevention and control and management (2021)[J].
Chinese Journal of Digestive Medicine, 2021,41(4):221-233.

2.
Wang Kaijuan, Wang Runtian.
Meta-analysis of Helicobacter pylori infection in China [J].
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology, 2003, 24(6):443-446.

3.
Chinese Medical Association, Journal of Chinese Medical Association, General Practice Branch of Chinese Medical Association, etc.
Guidelines for primary diagnosis and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection (2019) [J].
Chinese Journal of General Practitioners, 2020,19(5): 397-402.

4.
Helicobacter pylori group of Gastroenterology Branch of Chinese Medical Association.
The sixth national consensus report on the management of Helicobacter pylori infection (non-eradication treatment part).
Chinese Journal of Digestive Medicine, May 2022, Volume 42, Issue 5.

5.
"The Truth About Cancer Prevention"